Rajasthan police baton-charged private hospital doctors and managers on Monday during their protest against the 'Rajasthan Right to Health Bill' in Jaipur.
This comes after Medical services at private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan were affected on Sunday as doctors went on a strike against the state government's proposed Right to Health Bill.
Responding to a call for a strike by the Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, members of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Society and the United Private Clinics and Hospitals of Rajasthan stopped services on Saturday night, news agency PTI reported.
As per PTI, the Rajasthan Right to Health Bill seeks to give the residents of the state the right to avail of free healthcare services from hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. This will include private establishments also.
"This is an indefinite statewide 'bandh' and it will continue until the government withdraws the bill," said Dr Vijay Kapoor, secretary of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Society, as quoted by the news agency.
The doctors held a meeting on the issue on Sunday, he said.
He informed that 3,000 doctors from all districts would march to the state assembly against the bill on Monday.
"The protesting doctors said the proposed bill would gradually eliminate private hospitals, take away from doctors the right to earn livelihood and deprive the public from round-the-clock medical and health facility," as per Dr. Kewal Krishan Dang of a private hospital, quoted by PTI.
The closure of private facilities led to a 40 per cent rise in the patient load in the government-run MBS Hospital in Kota as around 300 private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in Kota remained shut for outdoor patients, emergency services, and fresh admissions.
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